MINERVA Development Newshttp://www.hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php
MINERVA: Episodic, single-player Half-Life 2en-gbhttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rssBaaBaa-BlogSheep(tm) v0.3athena@hylobatidae.orgafoster@hylobatidae.orgMINERVA - on GameFronthttps://hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php?action=articleinfo&id=121
<p>What with the recent <a href="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php?action=articleinfo&amp;id=118">re-release of MINERVA</a>, there's been <a href="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php?action=articleinfo&amp;id=119">one or two interviews</a> with the gaming press.</p><p>So here's another, <b><a href="http://www.gamefront.com/half-life-2-mod-minerva-hits-steam-interview-with-creator/">From Modder to Valve Employee; the MINERVA Story</a></b> on GameFront. Read more about how MINERVA came to be re-released, along with its past and potential future. <span style="font-size: 7pt;">Also includes a list of increasingly antiquated mods and maps which I reckon are <i>awesome</i>.</span></p>
Sat, 29 Jun 2013 02:04:12 +0200https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php?action=articleinfo&id=121Iain (M.) Banks - 1954-2013https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php?action=articleinfo&id=120
<p>Over at the <b><a href="https://hylobatidae.org/?action=articleinfo&amp;id=80">other blog</a></b> - that ever-so-slightly influential Iain Banks has decided to die.</p><p>Arse.</p><div class="gallery"><img src="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/files/user_id_1/forth-rail-bridge-2.jpg" alt="The Bridge again." title="The Bridge again." /></div><p>I'm not yet actively upset, just ... numb.</p><p><span style="font-size: 7pt;">... and now almost pissing myself laughing, tears running down my face, reading of his <b><a href="http://www.scotsman.com/news/iain-banks-ashes-to-be-fired-in-rocket-over-forth-1-2960912">last requests</a></b>...</span></p>
Mon, 10 Jun 2013 12:13:15 +0200https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php?action=articleinfo&id=120MINERVA - on Eurogamerhttps://hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php?action=articleinfo&id=119
<div class="gallery"><a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-05-31-minerva-matter-the-half-life-2-mod-that-opened-the-gates-of-valve"><img src="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/files/user_id_1/stella-bottlecap.jpg" alt="Startlingly expensive beer." title="Startlingly expensive beer." /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: 7pt;">I'm pretty sure it's the appropriate bottle cap above. I don't exactly drink much Stella. Look at the beer snob, me!</span></p><p>If you're wondering what the hell the above has to do with anything, <b><a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-05-31-minerva-matter-the-half-life-2-mod-that-opened-the-gates-of-valve">go read the interview on Eurogamer</a></b>, with never-before-relayed information from behind the scenes of MINERVA's development!</p><p><b>Edit 2013-06-08:</b> ... and now an unexpected <b><a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-06-04-the-first-anyone-had-seen-publicly-of-portal-2-was-relayed-over-this-modem-from-1987-from-my-kitchen">part two, behind the scenes of the Portal 2 announcement ARG</a></b>!</p>
Mon, 03 Jun 2013 04:38:36 +0200https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php?action=articleinfo&id=119MINERVA - on Steamhttps://hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php?action=articleinfo&id=118
<p>The conversations went something like this:</p><blockquote><p><b>-[//SYSLOG:VALVE:10F.ADAMF/]-<br />
--[/MSG:CONV:FOSTER.A/08.10.14/15.20.05/ID:7937549/a]--<br />
---[/TXT:TRANSCRB:DUMP:BGN:----</b></p><p>&quot;Oh, hi Adam. Welcome to Valve! Really liked your mod. MINERVA, was it?&quot;</p><p>&quot;Yes. Thanks!&quot;</p><p>&quot;You really ought to get it on to Steam, you know. How is it you're distributing the thing?&quot;</p><p>&quot;Oh, friends with lots of bandwidth, and a home-made PHP script.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Nice!&quot;</p><p><b>----:END]---<br />
--[/LOG:SKIP:DATE/11.04.18/]--<br />
--[/MSG:CONV:FOSTER.A/11.04.18/22:34.25/ID:82749725/a]--<br />
---[/TXT:TRANSCRB:DUMP:BGN:----</b></p><p>&quot;Portal 2 complete, and shipped. Yes!&quot;</p><p>&quot;It's *ever* so slightly larger than my previous game release.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Oh, that Half-Life thing? MINERVA?&quot;</p><p>&quot;Yep. That was just me, a desk, a computer and a large bottle of Belgian beer. No big party!&quot;</p><p>&quot;Did you ever get that thing on to Steam?&quot;</p><p>&quot;Erm... Nope. I really ought to get round to that.&quot;</p><p><b>----:END]---<br />
--[/LOG:SKIP:DATE/13.02.04/]--<br />
--[/MSG:CONV:FOSTER.A/13.02.04/14:28.42/ID:3954738/a]--<br />
---[/TXT:TRANSCRB:DUMP:BGN:----</b></p><p>&quot;So many Portal 2 maps!&quot;</p><p>&quot;Steam Workshop. It's big.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Yeah, I'm a product of the previous modding generation.&quot;</p><p>&quot;That Half-Life 2 mod, MINERVA? Well, that's just an earlier version of mods on Steam.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Erm... It's not actually available on Steam.&quot;</p><p>&quot;*Really?* Go talk to [ELIDED]. Get it up there. User generated content! Valve strategy!&quot;</p><p>&quot;Right then. Procrastination over.&quot;</p><p><b>----:END]---</b></p></blockquote><p>And thus, ever so slightly later than expected, here's an actually-final, director's-cut, polished-visuals, tweaked-navigation, improved-puzzles, hours-of-free-Half-Life-2-shooterings <b>MINERVA: Metastasis</b> - this time on Steam.</p><p><span style="font-size: 7pt;">Technical details: maps lighting fully rebuilt with maximum settings, more expensive materials swapped in where appropriate, vegetation density increased, DirectX 8 mode actually working (!), running on Source 2009 for better dynamic lighting and other visuals. Gameplay details: various puzzles improved with better (but still subtle) prompting, various difficult-to-navigate areas improved with better (but still subtle!) guidance. Quite a few bugs both large and small squished as well. That disappearing-crosshairs thing? <i>Finally gone.</i> Exciting.</span></p><div class="gallery"><a href="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/"><img src="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/files/user_id_1/minerva-rerelease.jpg" alt="Now with a slightly less 2005-era website." title="Now with a slightly less 2005-era website." /></a></div><p>Special thanks go to Tom Edwards for his now-no-longer-necessary <a href="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php?action=articleinfo&amp;id=103">Officially Unofficial Source 2009</a> patch, which saved me huge amounts of time in getting things working again.</p><p>Additional special thanks go to Piotr Burzykowski and his <b><a href="http://www.locworks.pl/localization/">LocWorks</a></b>-translated language packs - full translations into French, German, Italian, Polish, Russian and Spanish are now available by default. Just set your Steam client to the appropriate language, and enjoy Minerva's occasionally inappropriate language however you understand it best.</p><p>Additional additional thanks to all the people at Valve who made this possible!</p><p><span style="font-size: 7pt;">I was also going to link to Joseph Toscano's site for more soundtrack stuff, but it <a href="http://www.zhaymusic.com/">appears to be down</a>. Oh no!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 7pt;"><b>Edit:</b> ... fortunately, he got in touch having seen the news - and he's got a new site. <b><a href="http://musicbyjt.com/album/minerva-metastasis-ost">MINERVA soundtrack</a></b> here!</span></p><p>A link to the thing on Steam? Here you go: <b><a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/235780">MINERVA: Metastasis</a></b>.</p><p>Installation details: go to page, click 'PLAY GAME', follow instructions. You'll need to own a copy of <b><a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/380/">Half-Life 2: Episode One</a></b>, but shouldn't need it installed already. <span style="font-size: 7pt;">Once this Steam edition is installed, you can safely delete any <tt>metastasis</tt> folders from <tt>SteamApps/SourceMods</tt>.</span></p><p>Enjoy!</p>
Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php?action=articleinfo&id=118Resistance Is Character-Forminghttps://hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php?action=articleinfo&id=117
<p>Already posted over on the <a href="https://hylobatidae.org/?action=articleinfo&amp;id=68">other blog</a>, but ... personal hero Iain Banks has been <b><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/apr/03/iain-banks-gall-bladder-cancer">diagnosed with terminal cancer</a></b>. He's likely got less than a year, perhaps just months to live. I learned of this last night, in a typically matter-of-fact, no-holds barred <a href="http://friends.banksophilia.com/">statement</a> brought up by my RSS news reader.</p><div class="gallery"><img src="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/files/user_id_1/forth-rail-bridge.jpg" alt="Not a bridge, The Bridge" title="Not a bridge, The Bridge" /></div><p>I discovered his science fiction books while not having an especially fun time in life - the sheer escapism, pitch-black humour and leftist sensibilities helping me rebuild my mind into something much sturdier. I promptly devoured everything that Iain M. Banks had written, then started picking at Iain Banks' oeuvre, eager for more.</p><p>He's someone I've never met, and likely never will - but I've spent about thirteen years exploring and inhabiting worlds of his devising. And to learn that there's a door now permanently closing is ... painful.</p>
Thu, 04 Apr 2013 09:02:16 +0200https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php?action=articleinfo&id=117Minerva - where is she now?https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php?action=articleinfo&id=116
<p>You might think you could find useful information in <b><a href="http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/12/05/specially-level-with-me-adam-foster/">this 'ere brand-new interview on Rock, Paper, Shotgun</a></b>, but the truth is - <i>she's all around us</i>.</p><p><span style="font-size: 7pt;"><b>Edit 2012-12-06:</b> <a href="http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/12/06/specially-level-with-me-adam-foster-part-two/">second part of the interview is up!</a></span></p><p>Witness.</p><div class="gallery"><img src="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/files/user_id_1/minerva-real-world-truck.jpg" alt="MINERVA truck" title="MINERVA truck" /> <div class="caption">Our transport networks are now hers to control. <span style="font-size: 7pt;">via fstanchina</span></div><br />
<img src="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/files/user_id_1/minerva-real-world-street.jpg" alt="MINERVA street" title="MINERVA street" /> <div class="caption">She's abstracted whole streets from our cities, for her nefarious purposes. <span style="font-size: 7pt;">via Bob</span></div><br />
<img src="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/files/user_id_1/minerva-real-world-shop.jpg" alt="MINERVA retail" title="MINERVA retail" /> <div class="caption">Even New Zealand retail establishments are repurposed for reasons of high-energy-physics. <span style="font-size: 7pt;">via laura</span></div><br />
<img src="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/files/user_id_1/minerva-real-world-switch.jpg" alt="MINERVA test" title="MINERVA test" /> <div class="caption">Only operate this switch in the event of the Combine arrival. <i>She is ready for them.</i> <span style="font-size: 7pt;">via BenA</span></div><br />
<img src="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/shards/minerva-bike.jpg" alt="MINERVA bike" title="MINERVA bike" /> <div class="caption">And finally, I never <i>did</i> find who placed this all-too-conveniently-named bike outside my front door in Brussels. I have my guesses. But wasn't she supposed to be fictitious?</div><br />
</div><p></p>
Wed, 05 Dec 2012 22:22:51 +0100https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php?action=articleinfo&id=116Five yearshttps://hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php?action=articleinfo&id=115
<p>Unbelievably, it's been five whole years since the final <a href="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php?action=articleinfo&amp;id=60">MINERVA: Metastasis was released</a>. I've been up to a couple of things since then, none of which MINERVA - but I hate to leave plot points dangling forever.</p><p>As is <a href="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php?action=articleinfo&amp;id=94">traditional</a> on such events, I went rummaging around in the archives and dug up some more documentation that could prove ... illuminating to the more astute amongst the Acolytes.</p><div class="gallery"><a href="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/files/user_id_1/minerva-day-1.jpg"><img src="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/files/user_id_1/minerva-day-1-small.jpg" alt="Recovered document #0673" title="Recovered document #0673" /></a> <a href="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/files/user_id_1/minerva-day-2.jpg"><img src="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/files/user_id_1/minerva-day-2-small.jpg" alt="Recovered document #0852" title="Recovered document #0852" /></a> <a href="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/files/user_id_1/minerva-day-3.jpg"><img src="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/files/user_id_1/minerva-day-3-small.jpg" alt="Recovered document #1024" title="Recovered document #1024" /></a><br />
</div><p><span style="font-size: 7pt;">The first <b>Acolyte of the Anniversary</b> award potentially goes to Robert Yang for his <a href="http://www.blog.radiator.debacle.us/2012/09/excavating-adam-foster.html">port of Someplace Else to Black Mesa Source</a>. Oh, by the way, <a href="http://release.blackmesasource.com/">Black Mesa was released</a>! Blimey.</span></p>
Tue, 02 Oct 2012 08:35:47 +0200https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php?action=articleinfo&id=115Welcome to the world of ... yesterday?https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php?action=articleinfo&id=114
<div class="gallery"><a href="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/forum/"><img src="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/files/user_id_1/forum-header.jpg" alt="Spammers, begone!" title="Spammers, begone!" /></a></div><p>The particularly astute and/or observant amongst you may have noticed the <b><a href="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/forum/">forum</a></b> got disabled comparatively recently <span style="font-size: 7pt;">(hah!)</span> - due to an outbreak of spammers somehow getting past my hacked-in ReCAPTCHA support. I've <i>finally</i> got round to re-enabling it again - this time with logins and registrations completely disabled. So much so that the appropriate files got deleted.</p><p>For any would-be digital archaeologists, go enjoy wading through long-forgotten plot speculation, flame-wars and suchlike <b><a href="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/forum/">here</a></b>.</p><p><span style="font-size: 7pt;">If you do somehow succeed in logging in, well done. phpBB doesn't seem to have an <i>official</i> way of disabling logins, so I just hacked away at it until logins no longer worked...</span></p>
Mon, 18 Jun 2012 02:47:16 +0200https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php?action=articleinfo&id=114Welcome to the world of tomorrow!https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php?action=articleinfo&id=113
<p>Essentially, if you liked my Google Reader <a href="http://www.google.com/reader/shared/00381852413226563771">interesting things</a> feed but were annoyed by (or weren't aware of) Google removing my ability to add things to it, you may be interested in the gloriously progressive <b><a href="https://hylobatidae.org/">BaaBaa-BlogSheep™ v2.0</a></b>.</p><p>Featuring things! And other things! And perhaps yet more things!</p><p>I'll probably occasionally update v1.0 with particularly game-related whatsits, but future tedious blogging activity shall be directed towards the entirely* new blog-beast. Wonders shall truly never cease.</p><p><span style="font-size: 7pt;">Before anyone asks, no, I still haven't got round to writing a password retrieval thingy for user accounts. I'll do it one day, honest!</span></p>
Sat, 02 Jun 2012 23:40:42 +0200https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php?action=articleinfo&id=113Excuse me, I seem to be having terrible problems with my steam installationhttps://hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php?action=articleinfo&id=112
<p><i>&quot;My steam just isn't working properly.&quot;</i></p><p><i>&quot;Have you tried adjusting the valves?&quot;</i></p><p><i>&quot;That might work. Thanks!&quot;</i></p><p><b><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/twosevenoneonenineeightthreesevenatenzerosix/sets/72157629885091114/">Georgetown Steam Plant</a></b>, just south of Seattle. With <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgetown_Steam_Plant">complicated opening arrangements</a> that mean it's only open to the public the first Sunday of each month, it's absolutely worth visiting for anyone interested in dusty old industrial machinery.</p><div class="gallery"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/twosevenoneonenineeightthreesevenatenzerosix/sets/72157629885091114/"><img src="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/files/user_id_1/georgetown-steam-plant.jpg" alt="Deleting clientregistry.blob might help too..." title="Deleting clientregistry.blob might help too..." /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: 7pt;">In other news, I've also acquired a <a href="http://www.raspberrypi.org/">midget computer</a>. Embarrasingly, in the past I've bought entire generations of desktop PCs and dedicated GPUs with lower technical specifications than this. It's currently in use prototyping the <i>next generation of blog-beast-oriented web systems</i>. The wonders shall never cease.</span></p><div class="gallery"><a href="http://www.raspberrypi.org/"><img src="https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/files/user_id_1/raspberry-pi.jpg" alt="Mine's called 'gasbuggy'. Figure out why, and win a prize*!" title="Mine's called 'gasbuggy'. Figure out why, and win a prize*!" /></a></div><p></p>
Sat, 26 May 2012 09:12:33 +0200https://hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php?action=articleinfo&id=112